


Duck's Pinterest Adventure

by tikkikwami



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast), The Adventure Zone: Amnesty (Podcast)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Rated T for swearing, SO MUCH FLUFF, Trans Duck Newton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-16 07:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18516316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tikkikwami/pseuds/tikkikwami
Summary: Indrid had dropped his pen in shock when he saw Duck’s futures for the day.Duck appeared to beplanning a wedding. He actually asked out loud, “I wonder if he’d like that?” while looking at floral arrangements on a wedding planning site.Was he engaged? Oh god, was Indrid in love with an engaged man this whole time? He twisted his mouth in confusion, rubbing his forehead. He couldn’t see any futures where he would meet someone new any time soon, or any where Duck seemed in love with someone Indrid had never met, so this didn’t make sense. Was it a long-distance thing? What the hell wasgoing on?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> * designates a change in POV (all 3rd person limited, just switching between focusing on Indrid or Duck). 
> 
> Thanks to the Indruck discord server for the inspiration, y’all are the bomb!!

It was a lazy, sleepy Saturday morning in the Newton household. Duck was laying on his side in bed, scrolling through Pinterest, with his cat Pepper by his feet. His laptop was hardwired to the modem on the bedside table so he could have internet access.

He wouldn’t admit it to a single soul, but he liked Pinterest. He _loved_ Pinterest. Looking at all of the domestic bliss-inspired posts made him feel joy and comfort. Looking at boards of people pinning the furniture they want when they move into their eventual house? Yes please. Wedding boards? _Yes please_.

Because Duck, too, had a hidden wedding board. It was a secret he planned to take to the grave. 

With a soft smile, he pinned a romantic arrangement of red and white roses. “I wonder if he’d like that,” he mused quietly, feeling butterflies in his belly even considering the concept. _Marrying_ Indrid. He grinned and buried his face in his pillow, feeling shy and happy thrills course through him. 

Had he gotten the courage to ask Indrid out yet? No. Was he planning his wedding with Indrid? Yes. Because he was an absolutely _hopeless_ romantic, and he fully accepted that fact. He could plan on how to ask Indrid out later. Right now, he was indulging his happy little fantasy.

After a little while, he got too hungry to ignore it. He walked into the kitchen, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes, and opened the fridge. Blueberries for breakfast it is, then. Maybe a poptart, too. He was too lazy to actually make anything right now. 

Then the phone rang. “Hey,” he said into the receiver, fighting a smile. He already knew who it was, no future-seeing powers needed.

“Good morning, Duck,” Indrid’s lilting voice answered. “How are you?” 

He watched as Pepper trotted into the kitchen, ready to start yelling for food. “Uh, good so far,” he said, distracted by hurrying to get food for his cat before she became a loud nuisance. “How about you?” He winced at a loud meow.

Duck heard Indrid laugh softly, feeling warm inside at the sound. “Better than your feline friend there,” he replied. “I was just calling to ask if you wanted to spend some time together today.” 

“‘Course I do,” Duck said, his happy smile showing through his voice. “I can pick you up after I get ready for the day.” 

“I’d like that. See you then, Duck.” He heard the call with Indrid end as he set down the phone with a click. 

*

Indrid was having a very _interesting_ day so far. 

He liked to check in on his friends’ futures just to see if they needed help or maybe a warning from Indrid for any odd events. Of course, when he focused in on a particular person, he could see a range of futures, some several days from now and some only a second ahead of the current flow of time. 

He’d dropped his pen in shock when he saw Duck’s futures for the day. 

Most of them were completely normal. Either he spent the day doing chores, or if Indrid called him, they could spend the day together. Duck would want to hike a trail he’d never done before, and it was a 30-minute drive away. They would talk the whole time, and Indrid would have an excuse to look at Duck without him noticing for a good while. It was a very nice vision.

But there was another that made his breath catch in his throat. Duck appeared to be _planning a wedding_. He actually asked out loud, “I wonder if he’d like that?” while looking at floral arrangements on a wedding planning site.

Was he engaged? Oh god, was Indrid in love with an engaged man this whole time? He twisted his mouth in confusion, rubbing his forehead. He couldn’t see any futures where he would meet someone new any time soon, or any where Duck seemed in love with someone Indrid had never met, so this didn’t make sense. Was it a long-distance thing? What the hell was _going on_?

* 

When Duck pulled up beside Indrid’s winnebago, he saw Indrid’s door open immediately. He smiled without even realizing it when he saw his crush. He just always looked so goddamn cute.

Oh, and he was wearing clothes somewhat appropriate for hiking. Guess he’d seen the future where Duck wanted to go hiking. Convenient.

“Y’ready?” Duck asked as Indrid opened the door. “I know I didn’t even ask you-”

“If I wanted to go hiking,” Indrid finished for him, climbing into the truck’s passenger seat. He placed his water bottle in the cup holder. “It was in pretty much every future for today, so you didn’t even need to tell me.” 

The smile he gave Duck dazzled him for a moment. “Uh, yeah,” he said, putting the truck in reverse. “So I wanna go to the trail over in…” He told Indrid about the trail, how it wasn’t too long or difficult, but there were waterfalls he’d never seen before, so it seemed interesting. Indrid seemed to agree, nodding along as he explained. 

The ride there felt somehow short and long at the same time. As he talked with Indrid, he seer just kept _looking_ at him. It made his face heat up from so much attention being thrown his way. He kept getting distracted from the conversation when he saw from the corner of his eye that Indrid was looking at him with a soft smile for entirely too long to be platonic. 

But that’s just wishful thinking. 

* 

They parked in a small, empty parking area beside the beginning of the trail. Indrid had gotten distracted by visions for the past minute or so, and he didn’t realize they were there yet until Duck knocked on the window of the passenger side door to bring him back to the present. His heart fluttered as Duck opened the door for him, giving him a hand to help him out. 

“Thanks,” he said, letting go of Duck’s hand after holding it for a couple of seconds longer than he should have. His skin tingled at the contact. He really was in too deep with this crush on the ranger. 

The elevation here was a bit higher than Kepler and it apparently had some species of plants here that were different and delightful to Duck. He was explaining the population fluctuations of certain trees to Indrid as they walked. To be honest, Duck was in better shape than Indrid, so he was happy to just listen as they talked. It would be a little embarrassing to be talking when so out of breath. 

And also, he just liked listening to Duck talk in general. His passion for nature was enchanting. But his handsome voice was even better. 

After only about fifteen minutes they were at the first waterfall. It had a few boulders beside the water, perfect for sitting on. “What do you think so far?” Duck asked him as he sat. The hopeful little smile on his face made Indrid’s heart beat faster. 

“It’s lovely,” he answered, sitting down on the boulder next to Duck’s. He scooted closer to the edge of the boulder to see the waterfall better. It wasn’t too large or loud, so he didn’t have to raise his voice to talk with Duck. “To be honest, I haven’t seen a waterfall in a while. This is nice.” 

“‘S a shame,” Duck said, taking a sip from his water bottle. “They’re-”

“Beautiful, yes, I agree,” Indrid interrupted. Even though the waterfall was pretty, he had to force himself to keep looking at it. His gaze kept coming back to Duck and his soft brown eyes. He felt a surge of fondness, but it was immediately arrested by guilt and anxiety. “Are you engaged?” he blurted out, then covered his mouth. Oh, shoot. 

Duck blinked at him, looking surprised. “Uh, no?” He said, smiling but looking confused. “‘M single, actually.” 

Embarrassed, Indrid stared at the waterfall for an excuse not to meet Duck’s eyes. “Sorry,” he sighed. “I was just glancing at the futures earlier and, well, you were- Well, it looked like you were doing some wedding planning-” 

“Dammit!” Duck cursed loudly, making Indrid look over at him, surprised by the noise. The ranger was blushing with a lovely color of red. “I’m- I’m not gettin’ _married_ , I just…” He trailed off, and Indrid didn’t say anything, wanting to let him finish his thoughts. “Just a fantasy, I guess. Fuck. ‘M probably not even gonna get married at all.” 

Indrid couldn’t stop himself from giggling. “That’s ridiculous,” he said, looking at Duck with affection and amusement. “Of course you’re going to marry someone, Duck. Anyone would be lucky to have you.” Oh. Well, that had slipped out before he thought to shut his mouth. Okay. 

*

Duck wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Indrid saying ‘anyone would be lucky to have you’ is basically the sweetest thing he’d ever heard, and repeating the words in his head sent another thrill of butterflies through him. “Okay,” he said awkwardly, internally cursing that he didn’t have something _suave_ and _romantic_ to say. They were at a waterfall, for Christ’s sake. It was the perfect setting to sweet Indrid off his feet, right? 

His shyness stopped him from speaking, though. 

After a moment, Indrid started talking again. “I didn’t mean, well, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he said. “I’m sorry.” 

“No! No, it’s fine,” Duck insisted. “‘M just. I guess I’m just bein’ shy.” He chuckled, running his hands over the boulder beneath him. The texture was pleasant and helped him feel a little calmer. “It’s fuckin’ embarrassing to be caught makin’ a wedding board on Pinterest, shit.” 

Indrid shrugged. “I tried not to look at it, if it helps,” he said. It did make Duck feel a bit better. “When I realized what I was seeing, I just focused on a different vision.” 

The ranger pushed a pebble that was on the boulder, watching it roll down the side and fall into the water beside him. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he said, sighing slowly. “I just, uh, I guess it’s not a real cool thing to be such a fuckin’ _romantic_.” Somehow talking to Indrid like this was nice. It was an embarrassing topic for sure, but something about the seer made Duck feel safe, like he could talk about anything. 

*

“I think it’s cool,” Indrid mumbled bashfully, feeling his cheeks burn. There’s nothing quite like your crush admitting that he loves romance. The thought gave Indrid hope that he might have a chance with him.

But wait. In the vision, Duck had mentioned a specific person when he was planning his wedding. That still didn’t make sense. Yes, the seer hoped against hope that it was Indrid, but scolded himself. He would just set himself up for heartache if he thought Duck really liked him back. 

Duck didn’t reply, instead standing up. “D’you wanna keep going? The next waterfall’s bigger,” he said, changing the subject. Then he extended his hand down, offering Indrid a hand up. 

He didn’t need it, but took it anyway. Actually, maybe he needed it, because the boulder beneath him shifted just a tiny amount when he stood, and he almost lost his balance. “Yeah, I definitely want to go now,” Indrid declared with a shiver, hopping onto the trail again. 

He didn’t comment on it, but the way Duck’s hand stayed on his lower back as they stepped off the boulder made his heart beat faster. He was a little disappointed when the contact ended, but it was most likely just to help him keep his balance, so it was understandable that Duck wouldn’t keep doing it.

But still. He liked it.

*

They didn’t talk much on the way to the next waterfall. The trail got a bit steeper, so it would have been easy to blame the lack of conversation on the exertion, but really Duck was just lost in his nervous thoughts. What did Indrid even think of him now? 

If Duck learned someone else was planning a wedding with him before even asking him out, he would probably be freaked out, right? I mean, that’s pretty weird. Invasive, even. 

On one hand, he really just liked the wedding aesthetic. It was almost a fun game to design the party in his head. And it was a fun fantasy to think of seeing Indrid walk down the aisle toward him. He couldn’t help but sigh dreamily thinking about it. 

On the other hand, he’s being a fucking idiot. Only teenage girls do this kind of thing, fantasizing about their crush and moving way too fast in their planning. A normal person would just ask Indrid out, right? A normal person would not just get lost in fantasies and dance around his romantic feelings. 

Unfortunately, Duck had never been normal. He was the Chosen One, his life was _destined_ to be weird. 

But how could he smooth over this situation? Indrid already knew he was being weird, planning a wedding without even dating anyone. Yeah, Indrid probably had no grounds to stand on in terms of accusing Duck of being weird - dude lives in a fucking camper and sees the future - but _still_. He wanted Indrid to think he was cool and interesting, not fucking insane. 

How the fuck could he dig himself out of this mess? If he brought it up again, he’d probably make it worse. His ability to put his foot in his mouth was unmatched by anyone he’d met. 

*

Indrid tried to focus on where he was placing his feet among the roots and rocks on the trail so he wouldn’t trip, but he was also monitoring the close futures. In a lot of them Duck would say something about Indrid’s vision that morning, rambling about why he would make that kind of Pinterest board, but never explaining _who_ the ‘he’ was in the vision: “I wonder if he’d like that” is what Duck had said. 

It was kind of making him anxious. So Duck was clearly in love with someone, right? What if it wasn’t Indrid? He let out a shaky breath.


	2. Chapter 2

Suddenly, they were there. The ground levelled out as the trail branched out into two segments. A little sign with cartoony waves of water on it pointed to the left. “I think that’s where the next waterfall is,” Duck said, breaking the silence. “I think there’s a pretty big pond it goes into, and that connects to a stream. It’s what the hiking trails brochure said, anyway.” 

Indrid blinked, and suddenly all his visions of the next few minutes changed. “We’re going swimming?” he asked, voice wavering. His heart started pounding for entirely different reasons than before: he was _terrified_ of the thought of actually entering the water. 

“Y’don’t have to,” Duck told him, bundling up his long, curly hair into a ponytail. “It’d just be nice to cool off ‘fore we continue. Or we can go home after this spot, I don’t mind.” 

Feeling cold all of the sudden, even though it was mid-summer, Indrid rubbed his hands on his arms to calm himself. “Uh, you go ahead,” he said. “I’ll- I’ll just, I’ll think about it.” 

When they arrived by the pond, Indrid timidly sat on a big, flat rock. The sun’s rays had heated it up, and it was a little uncomfortably warm. “Are you sure you want to swim? The water would be rather cold, wouldn’t it?” 

“Oh, it’s fine,” Duck said, waving away Indrid’s concerns as he took off his shoes. But when he waded into the water, he hissed. “God fucking dammit, that is cold.” 

Indrid laughed. “Goodness, Duck. You’re just wearing all of your clothes in the water?” 

“Well, I didn’t come out here to _skinny dip_ , Indrid,” he ranger said dryly, rolling his eyes. 

“I’m not- that’s not what I’m suggesting!” Indrid insisted, feeling his face heat up. 

Instead of replying, Duck went completely underwater for a moment before popping up with a gasp. “‘Kay, it feels alright now. Worth it.” 

“I somehow doubt it’s worth it,” Indrid said, watching a minnow nibble at a plant nearby. He was studiously _not_ looking at Duck with his shirt plastered to his body. In the back of his mind, he noticed that Duck was likely going to splash him. “Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he teased, his voice holding an undercurrent of sharpness showing he meant it. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Duck grinned, looking at Indrid innocently. “Hey, y’wanna get in? I promise it’s not cold once y’get used to it.” 

Indrid took a deep, shaky breath. “I think it would be best if I didn’t,” he said quietly. The roar of the waterfall almost drowned out his words. “I haven’t exactly had the best experiences swimming.” Although he didn’t currently have wings, the memory of having them drenched and heavy with water, making it hard to get back to the surface - it made him shudder. 

“Your loss,” Duck said. He finally left the water, crawling up onto the rock Indrid was sitting on. He was leaning away from him so the seer wouldn’t get wet, but some droplets hit him anyway. 

Duck was right. The lower temperature was a welcome reprieve from the summer heat. 

“I was just thinkin’ y’could make new memories of swimmin’,” the ranger said, bumping his shoulder against Indrid’s. Instead of recoiling, he let it happen; the coolness felt nice. 

Indrid himself was surprised by what he said next. “Okay.” 

“Okay?” Duck seemed delighted. 

Chewing his lip, Indrid nodded. “Yeah, I guess,” he said, taking off his shoes. What was he doing? This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea, but none of the futures showed him actually drowning, so… and some of the futures showed Duck holding his hand in the water, which made him smile without even realizing it. 

Duck hopped back in the water with a splash. It only came up to his knees by the rock Indrid was seated on. “You know how to swim?” he asked, leaning on the rock as he waited for Indrid to prepare himself. 

He really didn’t want his shirt wet. He could deal with his pants getting wet, as they were a quick-drying material, but he didn’t feel like being soggy the whole way home. He pulled off his shirt and placed it neatly beside his shoes. “Kind of,” Indrid answered vaguely. He knew how to swim as a moth person, but not very well. And not at all as a human. 

*

Duck swallowed as Indrid took his shirt off, eyes wide. He quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to be disrespectful, but the damage was done. Indrid wasn’t just cute, he was _hot_. Great. 

“I haven’t been swimming in a long time,” Indrid said as he slowly slipped into the water. He shivered. “Yikes, this is freezing.” 

Duck saw the hesitant look on his face turn into real nervousness. “Hey,” he said softly, holding out his hand. Indrid took it. Surprising Duck, he pushed up his glasses to his forehead with his other hand. “Wait, what color are your eyes?” 

“Is this the time?” Indrid replied, laughing breathlessly, still not relaxed. 

The ranger shook his head and took a step forward into the water, pulling Indrid with him. He carefully watched him for signs of panic, but there weren’t any. 

*

The one thing Indrid regretted right now was that he didn’t push his glasses up sooner. The colors around him were vivid, the plants a much brighter green than when they were behind the red lenses. And now he could see Duck unobstructed, and it was very, very nice. Indrid couldn’t stop looking into his eyes, a lovely shade of brown lit up in the sunlight. 

But then he remembered where he was, and what they were doing. He looked down at the water, gentle waves lapping against his thigh. He tightened his hold on Duck’s hand, stepping closer to him. “You’re doin’ real good,” Duck told him, and he breathed a little easier, feeling more calm just from hearing Duck’s voice. 

“I’m- I almost drowned once,” he said, still staring at the water. It was clear and very slowly moving toward the stream. “I’d just finished pupating, really. My wings were barely their full size.” 

Duck gave him a long look. “That sucks that y’almost drowned, but you’re with me right now, and I’m gonna keep y’safe.” Although the water around him was cold, Indrid felt himself grow warm inside. And even though the water as a whole frightened him, he didn’t feel so scared now. “Also, I have no frame of reference for what that thing about the wings means? Also, were you- you pupated? Were you a caterpillar?” 

Surprised, Indrid laughed. He was too on-edge to look at the visions, so he really wasn’t aware of where the conversation was going or what Duck was planning to say. “Um, of a sorts?” It came out like a question. “No, I was… this is hard to explain to a human,” he said, finally looking back up at Duck and into his eyes. 

And he forgot what he was talking about. Because the sheer amount of caring he could see plain as day on Duck’s face was entirely too distracting. “‘S okay,” the ranger told him. He reached for Indrid’s other hand now, walking backwards slowly to lead Indrid deeper. When the water reached Indrid’s hips, he stopped. “How’re you feelin’?” 

Indrid was pleasantly surprised. “I’m doing well, I think,” he said, smiling hesitantly at Duck. “It’s a lot better when you’re here.” 

“I like it better when you’re here, too,” Duck said, a soft blush tinting his cheeks. And for a quiet moment they just looked at each other, the cool water swirling around them. But then two things happened. 

First, a fish touched Indrid’s leg, and he shrieked. Second, he jumped forward in surprise and stumbled directly into Duck. 

After a couple of seconds of shocked silence, Indrid said, “Um, sorry,” looking at Duck timidly. He carefully relaxed his hands from their grip on Duck’s shirt, pulling them back to himself. But it felt like he was frozen in place. Duck’s hands were holding onto his forearms, helping to steady him. 

There were flecks of green and yellow in Duck’s brown eyes. How had he not noticed that before? The ranger held the eye contact, his concern melting after a few seconds into fondness. “Hi,” he said softly, smiling crookedly. 

Indrid felt like his heart was doing jumping jacks. He lifted a hand and rested it on Duck’s cheek, and the ranger leaned into the contact, closing his eyes. 

“Why did you bring me here?” Indrid asked in a whisper. He felt like he was very, very close to doing something he might regret. He glanced at Duck’s lips for a second, hesitating. Should he kiss him? He very much wanted to. 

*

“‘Cause I like you, obviously,” Duck answered, opening his eyes and grinning at the seer. “I like bein’ with you.” He wasn’t sure where this boldness was coming from. It was just natural for him to be this close to Indrid. It felt _right_. And to his delight, the seer didn’t seem to mind it, either. 

Indrid’s soft hand on his cheek felt even cooler compared to the heat of his blush. 

But then it seemed like the shy joy on Indrid’s face turned all too quickly into apprehension. “I don’t know how to ask this,” he said quietly, dropping his hand from Duck’s face. He looked down at the water between them, seeming embarrassed. “You’re not- I just, I really like you, Duck, and I don’t want to, um, pursue someone who’s in love with someone else.” 

Duck blinked in confusion for a few seconds. “I’m not in love with anyone else,” he whispered, gently tilting Indrid’s chin up with his finger. Their eyes met for one smoldering second before Duck leaned in and pressed his lips against Indrid’s. 

He was happier in that moment than in a good, long while. 

*

After a blissful few seconds, Indrid pulled back from the kiss. Duck gave him the most dazzling smile. “I’m done swimming,” he said with a shiver. Duck nodded and the two made their way back to the shore.

Indrid climbed over to the sun-warmed rock, climbing onto it and immediately laying down on his back with a pleased hum, careful to keep his glasses in place. “Y’mind if we stay here a little while? I don’t wanna put my socks back on while my feet are wet,” Duck told him, laying beside him and turning his head to look at the seer. 

“Of course not,” Indrid said, lazily opening his eyes and grinning at Duck. “Hey. _You kissed me_.” 

Duck chuckled, meeting his eyes, that blush Indrid liked so much returning. “I did,” he confirmed. “I’m- uh, that was okay, right?” 

“More than okay,” Indrid answered. He placed his hand palm-up beside his face, and Duck placed his hand in Indrid’s. The contact still gave him shy, happy thrills. “Really great, actually.” 

Duck closed his eyes, seeming to melt into the warm rock beneath him. “‘M glad,” he said. 

Indrid couldn’t help it. He just looked at Duck, not caring that he was staring, and admired him. The soft curve of his nose, the gentle slope of his forehead, the sharpness of his jawline. He scooted over a few inches so that he could lean his head on Duck’s shoulder, the solidness beneath his head feeling so comforting. 

And something about the ranger made Indrid feel safe. Safe enough to try to confess his feelings. “Duck, I’m… I really, um,” he said, stumbling through his words. Duck opened his eyes to gaze at him fondly as he attempted to string a sentence together. “I’m too shy to ask you out, actually. Can we just be dating now?” 

Duck laughed, pulling Indrid’s hand to his face so he could give him a little kiss on the knuckles. “Yeah,” he said, punctuating the word with another smooch. “I’d like that.” 

After a few more minutes of laying in the sun, Indrid felt dry enough to pull his shirt back on. Even though it was the middle of a sunny summer day, Indrid felt a shiver run through him as his cold, wet hair hit the back of his neck as he sat up. “I think I’d like to go home now,” he said, yawning. 

Perhaps a nap was in order. A hot shower, then a nap. That’s exactly what he wanted right now. 

“Yeah, let’s go,” Duck agreed, sitting up and putting his shoes back on. As they walked back to the car, Indrid felt Duck’s hand on his back a few times to guide him over difficult terrain. The contact was maybe more distracting than helpful, but he had no intention of asking Duck to stop. 

“It’s a good thing this truck has leather seats,” Indrid mused as he hopped in the passenger side seat. Neither of them were fully dry from swimming earlier. “I definitely need a shower, but I don’t want to stop hanging out, though…” 

Duck shivered as the air conditioning turned on, cool air blowing on him and his wet clothes. He quickly turned it off. “Y’can just come over to my place. I’ll let you shower first.” 

Indrid didn’t respond for a few moments as Duck backed out of the parking lot. “I’d need a change of clothes,” he said slowly, thinking. “No offense, but I’d like to at least stop by my winnebago on the way.” 

The ranger laughed. “What, y’don’t like borrowing clothes?” 

The thought of wearing _Duck’s clothes_ made Indrid bite his lip so that he wouldn’t do something embarrassing like squeal. Wearing Duck’s clothes? Like… he was Duck’s? The possessive nature of the thought was thrilling. “No,” he lied. “I’m- that’s- I don’t want to.” But his voice cracked, and he covered his face before the blush set in.

Duck just chuckled. “I thought I was s’posed to be the bad liar in this relationship, but alright, suit yourself.” Indrid hummed, setting his hands in his lap and looking out the window, watching the scenery pass by. _This relationship_. That sounded good.

They were nearing the campground where Indrid currently lived. “You don’t- we don’t need to stop,” Indrid said quietly, looking at Duck. “I can just borrow clothes, you’re right.” Duck nodded, seeming to understand why Indrid didn’t want to stop: the campground doesn’t have hot water, and Indrid very much wanted a hot shower as soon as possible. 

By the time Duck was pulling into the parking lot by his apartment, Indrid was quietly shivering. “You need to get in the shower,” Duck told him firmly. 

“Your clothes are more wet than mine,” Indrid argued half-heartedly. He did want to shower first, but it was Duck’s house, and he didn’t like the thought of Duck being cold… Then the ranger gave him a look, and he sighed in defeat. “Yeah, okay.” 

After unlocking the door, Duck walked to his room and re-emerged after a minute with some spare clothes. “These’re for you,” he said, pushing them into Indrid’s hands. “Towels are under the sink.” 

“Thanks,” Indrid said gratefully, walking into the bathroom and locking the door. He immediately turned on the water to a very hot setting and breathed in slowly as the air became more humid. After taking off his clothes, he looked with interest in the mirror. It was a lot bigger (and cleaner) than the one in Indrid’s camper. Then the water coming down from the showerhead was steaming and it was time to get in the shower.

The only problem was that Indrid didn’t have any of his products there. They were all Duck’s. 

He supposed the thought of using Duck’s shower supplies wasn’t unpleasant. It was actually very pleasant. Because then he would get to smell like Duck and be reminded of him with every breath. Smiling, he massaged the shampoo into his scalp, sighing with comfort under the hot water. 

Indrid was careful not to spend too long in the shower - he wanted Duck to have some hot water, after all. He chuckled recalling his usual showers in the winnebago, with its very limited hot water and poor water pressure. This was heaven compared to that. Even if he still had to wear fogged-up glasses in the shower.

After drying off, he actually took a look at what Duck had given him to borrow for the first time. It was an old gray sweatshirt with what looked like Duck’s college logo printed on it and some black sweatpants. When he put them on, they were comically a bit too short for him, but very baggy. 

It was perfect, though. He loved feeling like he _belonged_ with (and maybe to?) Duck.

He opened the restroom door, smiling as he felt the warm air in the living room. Duck had set out the space heaters for Indrid.

The man in question was sitting in the kitchen, having a snack. “Your turn,” Indrid told him, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. 

Duck looked up at him with a little smile that made his heart melt. “Alright,” he responded, standing up and setting his empty plate in the sink. 

Indrid noticed the grapes and eggnog Duck had put out for him and felt his chest grow warm. 

*

Duck showered quickly compared to normal. He didn’t want to spend too much time away from Indrid, considering that they had _just_ begun dating, and he wanted to hold his hand now. After he had dried off and put on some pajamas, he exited the bathroom, his long hair cascading over his shoulders. 

“Hi,” he said, sitting down on the sofa next to Indrid. 

He felt his heart flutter when he noticed that Indrid’s glasses were pushed up on his forehead again. And he gazed into those shimmering red eyes with a happy sigh. “Hey,” he heard the seer reply with a yawn. “Ah, excuse me. I really am tired from hiking.” 

“Me too,” Duck said. He put his arm around Indrid’s shoulders, smiling at the happy hum he got in response. “I kinda wanna take you up on that nap idea. Sounds pretty fuckin’ good right now, actually.” 

“Seconded,” Indrid replied. He stood up, holding out his hand for Duck to take, which he gladly did. With his other arm he gathered up the blankets on the couch to bring with him. He chuckled as his crush - no, his _boyfriend_ \- led him to his own bedroom. “What?” 

Duck shrugged and climbed on the bed. “I’m jus’ happy I guess,” he said, wriggling under the covers. Indrid turned out the lights and hopped up on the bed from the other side. He quickly snuggled to Duck’s side, careful of his glasses, smiling softly. “‘M glad you’re here.” 

“Me too,” Indrid said, kissing Duck’s cheek and giggling at the resulting blush. “Am I allowed to call you cute now?” 

“No,” Duck grumbled, feeling himself grow redder. He turned on his side and hid his face in Indrid’s neck. 

The seer just laughed, and he started slowly drawing his fingers through Duck’s hair. It was soothing, laying so close so his boyfriend, having his hair stroked, and just being with Indrid in this moment. “Fine, I won’t,” he acquiesced. “But I’ll be thinking it.” 

“You do that,” Duck said, yawning. “Can I spoon you?” He grinned as Indrid squeaked shyly. “What, y’can dish it but y’can’t take it?” 

“I’m- I can take it,” Indrid said, turning over. Duck noticed his light blush with satisfaction, and he wrapped his arms around Indrid happily, pulling the seer close to his chest. “You’re just- I’ve been wanting this for so long, and now that I actually get to be with you, it’s overwhelming.” Wanting to comfort him, the ranger wordlessly kissed the back of Indrid’s neck. “It’s good, though. Really good.” 

“Mmm,” Duck hummed in response, already feeling drowsy. After a few moments of silence, he said, “‘S it okay if I fall asleep now? We can talk after nappin’.” 

He heard the smile in Indrid’s voice. “Yes,” he said. “Sleep well.” 

And with the warm man in his arms, Duck did sleep very well.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!! <3


End file.
